Sometimes I'll go out on a limb and read a book that wasn't necessarily on my radar, by an author who's new to me, and even within a genre (or crosses several genres) that I don't read often. I like reading outside of my comfort zone because this is often where I'll find the shiniest gems of books that may otherwise pass me by. 'The Lost Power' is one of those books; touted as 'Da Vinci Code meets Tomb Raider' (both of which I know of, but haven't read or seen, and probably just as well), I knew that others had found popular works to compare it to, but I'm glad I went in blind.

A family get-together in Napa, ruined by sniper's gunshots, is the opening setting for this exciting novel; app designer and Aikido instructor Maddy Marshall meets up with her estranged twin brother Will, go there to meet their elderly father, who reveals a dark, family secret, as he takes his last breaths. They then meet up with an old classmate, Bear, who accompanies them on their adventure across the globe, perhaps not so coincidentally.

The trio set out on a quest to discover a secret ‘Lost Power’ (with some dangerous people trying to beat them to it), before it can possibly endanger millions. It’s something of a quest to find the Holy Grail, filled with encounters in Spain, Jerusalem, and flying in a hot-air balloon.

What is so captivating about this novel, and what I didn’t expect, is the way that author Avanti Centrae has created a story about a brother and sister, with a rich family history, and made their relationship relatable, endearing, and it drives a lot of the action through. By having their friend Bear along for the adventure, he acts as the perfect buffer for the twins’ rough spots and develops into a fuller character than I expected. Rather than Will and Bear taking the lead with all the action in this book, it was completely refreshing to have Maddy be the person who ends up kicking butt, and it makes a change to have both the male and female characters airing their fears and showing their weaknesses.

Like any action adventure, there are many sequences that seem implausible (Spielberg  and authors like Dan Brown say it can be done though), but it felt really good to read a book that was just one crazy ride.

This is a heart-pounding action thriller that makes you feel like you have stepped into an adventure movie, where your every move will have you moving from one exotic locale to another, looking over your shoulder for who is chasing you, and tapping into the author’s vast knowledge of history and world religions and cultures, to solve an international mystery with unbelievably high stakes.

Thank you so much to Booktasters for the chance to read this; I powered through it during a recent readathon, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.